Information and sources of advice for professionals supporting children and young people with identified speech, language and communication needs
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The resources here will help you reach the outcome: "I know what information to give parents and families of toddlers where there are concerns about their speech, language and communication."
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Tiny Happy People
Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for you to use and signpost parents to use in daily routines to help develop toddlers' communication skills. The website is for parents of children aged up to 5 years, parents can choose information that is relevant to the age of their child. It includes information about what to expect and when as well as activities and games to play to help speech, language and communication. It includes information, ideas and activities for parents of toddlers with SEND.
Cost: Free
Switch off and talk
Toddlers find it hard to focus on two things at once. TV and other background noise make it hard for them to learn. You can help your toddler to develop good listening and talking skills by switching off electronic devices. This webpage and leaflet provides families with information about why this is important.
Cost: Free
Tiny Happy People activities
Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for you to share with parents to use in daily routines to help develop their toddler's communication skills. It includes activities and games to play to help speech, language and communication.
Tiny Happy People SEND information
This area of the Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for parents of toddlers with SEND.
Cost: Free
NHS Services and support for parents
NHS website with details for how to find a GP, Health Visitor and child health clinics in your area
Cost: Free
Parent information, advice and resources - Worcestershire
The Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy service website provides a comprehensive range of resources, advice and You Tube videos to help parents to support their child / young person at home.
Visit the website to find:
- Information about speech, language and communication
- Free resources you can download and use at home
- Links to our You Tube channel where you will find demonstrations of activities you can do at home
- Further information about the local team, where we work and what services we provide
Cost: Free
Hear Glue Ear
The Hear Glue Ear app is a valuable tool to help families manage their child’s glue ear at home. Glue ear is one of the most common childhood conditions in children aged 2-6, and the concern is that some young children with persistent or recurrent glue ear might struggle to develop speech, language, listening, and social communication skills.
Cost: Free App
PEEP
Peep Communication and Language strand - evidence-based parenting programme for parents and children together to attend together. There is a focus on bonding, attachment and the quality of the home learning environment as well as a focus on communication and language. Parents have the opportunity to gain 3 credits towards NOCN Learning Together at home.
Peep Early Literacy Strand - evidence-based parenting programme for parents and children to attend together. There is a focus on bonding, attachment and the quality of the home learning environment as well as a focus on literacy. Parents have the opportunity to gain 3 credits towards NOCN Learning Together at home.
Cost: Free
Be face to face at the toddler's level
Being at the toddler's level and being face to face with them helps them to listen, concentrate and understand the message. It also helps you to see where their focus is and what they are trying to communicate. This simple video produced by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust shows why this is important.
Cost: Free
Worcestershire information for families
The Worcestershire SLCN Pathway is based on the belief that parents are the most important people in a child’s life in terms of making a positive difference to speech, language and communication development at all stages. The Pathway offers guidance and advice for you to share with parents and carers on how to:
- Identify children with SLCN
- Support children with SLCN
- Adapt the environment for children with SLCN
- Make provision for children with SLCN
- Plan for further development of staff skills and knowledge about SLCN
- Find out about further sources of information
Cost: Free
Enquiry Line
The Speech and Language UK Enquiry Service gives parents a chance to discuss questions or concerns about their child’s speech, language and communication development with one of Speech and Language UK’s speech and language therapists. The therapists can give helpful information about children’s talking and communication development as well as tips on improving these skills. They can also offer advice on ages and stages and what can be done to help the child get the right support.
Cost: Free
Progress Checker
Speech and Language UK's progress checker provides parents with short questions they can answer to see how their toddler is getting on with their speech, language and communication development.
Cost: Free
Using visual support
Parents play a key role in supporting their toddler's language and communication skills in everyday life. Children learn about the world through their experiences and interests particularly within their play. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provide information and opportunities for families learn more about developing their toddler's speech and language - this video introduces how to use visual support to help communication.
Cost: Free
Afasic
Afasic supports parents and carers with young children who have difficulties with listening, talking and understanding others. Here is information for you to use and share with families of the children you support. It includes a wide range of information about talking, listening and understanding and what might cause these difficulties. If families are worried that their toddler is not talking or not saying as much as other children of their age, they can contact Afasic by telephone or email to speak to someone who can help.
Cost: Free
Afasic Parent Helpline
If a parent is worried about their child / young person's speech, language and communication, share this Afasic helpline information so that they can speak to someone who can help by telephone or email.
Cost: Free
Children's Centres
Children's Centres give help and advice on child and family health and parenting. Use this link to find a Children's Centre close to you.
Cost: Free
Talk together in daily routines
This leaflet provides information for you to use and to share with parents and carers about how to use everyday activities and routines to talk about what toddlers can see and what is happening. Toddlers learn from experiences and activities that happen over and over again. This gives adults a chance to use the same words and sentences many times. Linking these to daily routines will help toddlers to make links between the words, sentences and what they mean.
Cost: Free
Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages
This is a guide to the typical stages of speech and language development in children. Children develop language at different rates. However, understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language problems early. This page also provides information about how to support toddlers' development.
Cost: Free
I CAN How to support your child
This information for families provides ideas for them to support their toddler and forms part of Speech and Language UK's guide to the typical stages of speech and language development. Toddlers develop language at different rates and understanding what is typical and what parents and carers can do to support their toddler's communication and language helps provide them with a great start.
Cost: Free
Expansions - repeat and add
One way to help toddlers make longer sentences is to repeat and add a word or 2. Here NHS Tayside's Rhyming Robin and Chatty Charlie share information about how to do this as well as many other top tips for putting words together. Use these strategies in your setting and share with parents so that they can support their toddler at home.
Cost: Free
Labelling and Commenting
Using real word labels and commenting on what toddlers are interested in helps them to learn new words and understand how sentences work. Here NHS Tayside's Rhyming Robin and Chatty and Charlie share information about how to do this as well as many other top tips for learning words and developing language. Use these strategies in your interactions with toddlers you support and share with their families.
Cost: Free
Copy, repeat, imitate
Copying toddlers; sounds, words and actions shows them you're interested in what they are saying and doing, encourages them to do more and shows them how conversations and communication works. Here NHS Lothian share ideas of what you can do to help toddlers early communication skills. Use these strategies with the toddlers you work with and share these ideas with their families.
Cost: Free
Greater Manchester 10 Tips for Talking
The Greater Manchester (GM) 10 Tips for Talking are ten key messages to support the development of language and communication skills for babies and young children and can be used by everyone. Each tip is designed to give families and anyone working with children some small suggestions that can make a big difference and help give children the best start. Each message is based on sound research and is delivered by children.
Cost: Free
Signalong Training
Signalong provides training and resources to assist those with communication difficulties and English as an additional language.
Signalong is a key word sign-supported communication system based on British sign language and is used in spoken word order. It uses speech, sign, body language, facial expression and voice tone to reference the link between sign and word.
Cost: Free & £
Top Tips for Talking
Parents play a key role in supporting their toddler's language and communication skills in everyday life. Children learn about the world through their experiences and interests particularly within their play. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provide information and opportunities for families learn more about developing their toddler's speech and language.
Cost: Free
Afasic My Child Isn't Talking and I'm Worried
Children develop and learn to talk at different rates – some more slowly or quickly than others. However, there are key milestones parents can look out for and it can help them to know how talking develops, what happens and when. Here Afasic provides information for you to share with parents on: identifying who can help; first steps to getting help and support; gathering information and keeping a record and questions to ask professionals.
Cost: Free
NLT Tips for talking leaflets
The National Literacy Trust provides a wide range of parent-friendly downloadable leaflets outlining tips for talking, why talking to your toddler matters and the benefits for their development. The ideas include information for talking in daily routines such as during nappy changing, information for dads and activities to support communication when out and about.
Cost: Free
CBeebies supporting speech and language difficulties
Ideas for parents and carers to help their toddler learn to communicate. This webpage provides a range of strategies to support families to help their child make themselves understood and express their feelings.
Cost: Free
ASLTIP
The Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) provides information and a contact point for members of the public searching for an Independent Speech and Language Therapist. It also provides members with access to a UK network of SLTs and ongoing professional support.
Cost: £
Family Information Service
Your local Family Information Service (FIS) provides a range of information on all services available to parents, including parents of disabled children.
Cost: Free
Developing Joint Attention
Birmingham Community Healthcare Speech and Language Therapists have produced this video to show you how to help develop your child's joint attention - this means being able to focus on the same thing as you at the same time. How to help your child developing joint attention through play is broken down to help you easily understand what to do step by step.
Cost: Free
Creating Opportunities to Communicate
Birmingham Community Healthcare Speech and Language Therapists have produced this video to show parents and carers how to make small changes throughout the day to increase a child's opportunities to communicate and have a reason to communicate.
Cost: Free
Helping social communication development
Parents play a key role in supporting their toddler's language and communication skills in everyday life. Children learn about the world through their experiences and interests particularly within their play. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provide information and opportunities for families to learn more about developing their toddler's speech and language including this presentation about social communication.
Cost: Free
BBC Something Special
Something Special uses songs, rhymes and visual humour with Makaton sign language to help practitioners and parents learn how to support communication with signing in a fun and exciting way.
Cost: Free
Speech Link Parent Portal
The Speech Link Parent Portal offers advice, information and activities for you to share with families so that they know how to develop their children’s understanding, talking and listening. It includes information about speech, language and communication, how these skills develop, activities and top tips videos.
Cost: Free
Speech and Language Chatter Matters
This series of videos for parents and carers outlines how speech, language and communication skills develop; what families can do to support their child; how these skills develop over time; children with speech and language needs and how to access information and support.
Cost: Free
National Literacy Trust Bilingual quick tips
The National Literacy Trust has produced a series of bilingual quick tips for parents and practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills. There are lots of different languages. Copies can be downloaded and shared with families.
- Say hello to your new baby
- Dummies and talking
- Talk to your baby and child in your own language
- Making the most of television
- Talking with your baby
- Sharing songs and rhymes
- Playing with your baby
Cost: Free
